Follower of the Dragonborn
by EpikPhale
Summary: The Dark Elf, Kyren, was happy at The College of Winterhold, mastering the art of Illusion and Alteration skills, but one night a strange Wood Elf claiming to be the Dragonborn, asks for his help at the Thieves Guild. Will these two very different elves find peace with each other or will love and war break them?
1. Chapter 1

**Follower of the Dragonborn**

Ren laid in his bed, reading a book on how destruction magic should not be considered an art form when a pounding came from the doors that lead into The Hall of Countenance. He lazily looked up from his book, not amused by the rudeness of the distraction. It was nightfall on the second Fridas of Rain's Hand and one of the snowiest nights so far. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to be out on such a night. As if to prove his point, thunder crashed over head and shook the old stones of The Hall. Faralda came out of her room; a robe wrapped around her small body, and looked through the small glass eyehole in the door.

"Who is it?" She demanded, yelling through the door. There was some slight shuffling and then a muffled voice came from the other side.

"I'm looking for Mossiri. I think his it's Kyren Mossiri," The voice sounded, undoubtedly, male for it was unmistakably too low to be female. Ren lowered his book and sat up, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. The mysterious man had been looking for him. Why? Azura knows. Faralda turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow and stepping out of the way. The others had begun to shuffle to the archways of their rooms, watching as the scene slowly unfolded. Ren made his way towards the door, calling out to the man on the other side.

"This is he. To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" He quietly directed Faralda away, leaning into the eye hole to look out. On the outside there stood a man with incredible physic and an aura of power surrounding him. His heavy northern accent made Ren think he was a Nord, but he couldn't see his facial features from under his hood, nor could he see the color of his skin.

"I am Hyland," He looked up at the dark sky curiously. "Also known as the Dragonborn. I have important business to discuss with you." He shuffled his feet, sounding a bit board. "Please let me in, I'm freezing." He was not a Nord. They have a better relationship to this cold land they call home. Ren stepped back from the door and looked around at everyone staring at him. He did not like being the center of attention, preferring his quiet corner, reading and being ignored. But this was the Dragonborn, or so the man claimed. He ran a hand over his short beard in thought. If he were truly the Dragonborn, he would ruthless, be able to shout a man apart, shout the door down, breathe fire, but he had done of this. He looked at all of his colleagues faces, trying to find support, but they all looked annoyed by their rude awakening. He didn't trust the man outside of the door, but he didn't feel as though the man meant him harm. He turned back to the door and slid his hand over the rune that was etched into the door, unlocking it and letting it swing open slowly by itself.

"Sir Dragonborn," Ren dipped his head in greeting and gestured with his hand towards his room as an invitation. "Please, join me in my quarters for some nice hot tea." He turned gracefully on his heels and heading back towards the room where his book lay open on his bed, the fading Magelight hanging just above it. He grabbed a pot and poured some water into it, lighting a small flame in his hand and holding the pot over the flame, letting the water boil. The Dragonborn sat down in a chair that leaned against the wall, making it creak a little under his weight. He looked smaller now, not as bulky and muscular as he looked through the eyehole, but what was strange was his outfit. He had a hood which still covered his face, leather gauntlets and leather boots, but his chest and legs were covered by golden elven armor. "What can I do you for, Sir?"

"I have an important request," He stared at Ren's flaming hand. "It comes from the Thieves Guild." The water in the pot began to bubble vigorously. Ren shook out his hand like a match and the fire went out. He grabbed two tankards and set them on the table, carefully filling both of them with the hot water. Once bother tankards were full, he plucked several dried elf's ears from a hanging bundle and put them in two small mesh-like bags, tying a string around each of the openings. He began crushing the leaves through the bags and then placed them inside the tankards, letting them soak into the water. He placed a small jar of honey on the table and sat in the chair that was opposite of the Dragonborn.

"What sort of request?" He dipped his leaf bag in and out of the water, helping it steep.

"May we have a more private area to speak of the terms? This hall seems very… open." The Dragonborn looked towards the arch way and rested his hand on his knee. Ren waved his hand quickly and the purple outline of an invisible door appeared in the archway to his room.

"No one can see or hear us. Now, what is it they ask of me?" He took a scoop of the honey and mixed it into his tea, staring at the man before him with a small curiosity. The man pulled back his hood and rubbed his hands together. Ren was surprised when he saw pointed ears spring out from under his wild brown hair. He was not a man, but an elf! _How odd that the Dragonborn not be a Nord,_ he thought to himself. His wolf like eyes and fawn like face told him that he was a Wood Elf, but something about the roundness of his face and the bulkiness of his body threw off Ren's accusations.

"I am the new leader of the Thieves Guild since the former had a bad run in," The Dragonborn looked down and toyed with the bag in his tea, lifting the tankard and sipping it. His face of disgust was priceless. What a lie he was telling, but Ren let him continue without letting his curiosity push the conversation a different direction.

"That is unfortunate," He sipped his tea, letting the sweetness of the honey make his tongue feel heavy and his body warm.

"And, as of late, I have been looking for new recruits," He took another hesitant sip of his tea. "I have been granted the knowledge that you have mastered illusion and alteration spells, am I correct?" Ren couldn't help the small smile that began to creep into the corners of his mouth.

"You are correct." They sat quiet for a moment as he watched the Dragonborn pick his words carefully, but he knew what was going to be asked, and he knew what the answer would be. There was no possibility for him to leave The College at this point. After the incident with the disappearing students and the professor that went mad, his time being there was crucial to The Colleges cause: to train students to handle magic with love and care, not recklessness and disuse.

"It is of interest to the guild that we have an experienced mage on our side," He let the question ring in the air for a moment, as if to make it seem like he was pondering the question, mulling over his options.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. The College is in need of me, and I am not able to give up my duties here as an associate," He set his now empty tankard on the table, lacing his fingers in front of himself, his hands resting behind the tankard.

The Wood Elf's next words sent a small shock through the mages body. "Your superior, the Arch-Mage has given me permission to take you, saying that you were no longer needed here and that he can find a replacement effortlessly." How harsh his words were on Ren's ears made him want to throw the table at him. How could the Arch-Mage, of all elves, dismiss him so easily? He had done nothing wrong, had taught his students effectively and efficiently, and even began side projects to better the warding on the institute to help keep it safe. Of all the years he had been there, working his way to the top. How he is the youngest professor to ever delve into Saarthal with students and to come out unscathed. He was nearly thirty now, rather young for a Dark Elf, but that didn't change the time and effort he had poured into The College.

"I don't believe this. Your words are untrue. I doubt you're credibility of being the true Dragonborn!" He stood up and slashed his hand through the air, the invisible door disappearing. "I want you out."

"Please, speak with your superior," The Wood Elf stood up, quietly making his way to the door. "I will be at the inn in Winterhold for a few more days. Please, give this offer some thought. You are still young. We could use you." With that, the elf walked out of the door. Ren furiously slid his hand across the door to lock it, making a booming sound that echoed through The Hall. Faralda was sitting in her archway, watching him.

"What was that all about?"

"I must speak with the Arch-Mage tomorrow." Ren headed back to his room and put up his invisible door again, brightening his Magelight and shoving his nose back into his book.

In the morning, Ren pushed his food around as his colleagues all ate and chattered about college happenings. He was furious. He couldn't believe that the Arch-Mage could say such thing about him even after giving him the highest praises during the student acceptance inauguration. Nothing was calming his nerves. He needed to go speak with the Aren immediately. Ren took a couple bites of the small tart the maid had given him as not to seem disinterested and then stood up from his spot, bidding his friends a good morning and heading off to find the Arch-Mage.

When Ren finally found the Arch-Mage sitting in the main hall, looking out the window at the frozen tundra beyond, he still hadn't decided what he was going to say exactly. He took a deep breath and approached him.

"I heard about your visitor last night," The Arch-Mage had eyes and ears all over The College, meaning he knew all that was happening within the grounds.

"Yes, a Wood Elf claiming to be the Dragonborn-"Before he could finish, the Arch-Mage turned to face him.

"I know because he came to me yesterday afternoon, asking for your assistance," He paused for a moment, watching as horror struck Ren's face.

"So you really said all those things," He shook his head in disbelief.

"What is it that I have said that would offend you, friend?" His confusion only made Ren's fear become more sickening.

"That you didn't need me here, that you could easily find my replacement, that I'm useless," He waved his hands in the air, exclaiming the preposterous things that the elf had told him. But, it only made the Arch-Mage laugh.

"Dear boy, I have been the one to teach you and watch you prosper under my college. You helped me obtain this honor of Arch-Mage even though we both knew you were just as good a candidate as I," He wrapped his arm around Ren's shoulders leading him as they walked around the sides of the round hall. "The elf that came to you, he was from the Thieves Guild, was he not?" Ren nodded and held his wrist behind his back, thinking of the things the elf had said.

"He did say that, yes, "Aren smiled and patted him on the back.

"He was using his sharp words to cut you loose from The College, my boy. He tried to persuade you that I said such things because he _needs_ you. It is obvious to me," He released Ren and turned to stand in front of him. "It has come to my attention that the Thieves guild is on its feet again and I would very much prefer that we are on their good side rather than against them. Now, I would never in an era send over such a good man to such a vile faction if it weren't that we, as a college, aren't doing as well either." He sighed and looked at the fountain of energy in the middle of the hall, watching as a few students practiced a Sparks spell.

"What do you mean?" Ren knew that The College was going through a bit of a rough patch, but didn't realize that it was as big of a concern to the Arch-Mage as it was.

"We have been accepting fewer and fewer students each inauguration. Fewer and fewer people are turning to magic now that the Nords are in their damned war," He shook his head and stared at the floor. Ren felt a small part of him ache at the thought of The College going downhill so quickly.

"So you are purposing that we have an agent in between the Thieves Guild and The College. You're expecting to gain profit from this?" Aren smiled and chuckled to himself.

"Precisely. What better man than you? You are trained in diplomatic actions and a master of the magika they need," Ren looked towards the thin window; he touched the frost that was lining the outsides of the glass, just leaving enough visual space to see the abyss that lay beyond The College.

"That is what it seems, isn't it," He started into the white of the land for a while, quietly weighing his options. He couldn't let The College fall to its knees like this. This had been his home since he was a small boy. He loved it as if it were his mother. Knowing of its demise sickened him. "I shall go see the elf tonight and begin preparation to journey towards Riften."

Aren slapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you can see it as it is."

. . .

Ren made his way quickly across The College's nearly impassable bridge towards Winterhold. As he neared the stairs to the hold, he heard some yelling coming from a little ways away.

"Do ya think I don't know thieves armor when I see it?!"

"I was simply picking up the statue to observe it more closely, I swear!"

"And ya were just polishing it by putting it into yer sack, I'm sure!"

"I wasn't stealing it! I'm not a thief!"

Ren made his way towards the inn where he saw the Dragonborn go flying butt first down the stairs to the inns porch. The Dragonborn stood up and dusted the dirty snow off of his armor, turning and seeing Ren.

"Oh good! I'm sure you can tell him that I was only looking at his damn statue of Dibella and that I'm not a thief," He grabbed Ren by his mage robe and presented him to the inn owner, Dagur, whom Ren knew well.

"Kyren, I haven't seen you in near 'bout a year now, how have yer fancy college studies been takin' ya?" Dagur put his hands on his hips and smiled at him.

"Just the same as last year, almost. It's good to see you," He looked over at the Dragonborn, whose real name had escaped him, and shrugged. "This elf is alright, Dagur, I'll take him off your hands." He smiled up at the inn owner and gently pried the Dragonborn's fingers from his robes.

"Thanks, I guess," He put his hands on his hips and stared at Dagur while he wiped his hands angrily on his rag and headed back into the inn. "So, have you talked to your Arch-guy?" He smiled, squinting one of his eyes as if looking into the sun.

"It'll do you best not to spread such horrible lies about people you know nothing about," Ren commented.

"But it made you go see him, didn't it? If it weren't for that, you might not have actually gone and seen your Arch-guy in the first place. I could see your answer before I even asked the question," The elf sighed and shook his head, looking at his wet leather boots.

"Well, played. But a loose tongues gets caught in traps," Ren looked pointedly at him. The Dragonborn looked up at the sky again, almost seeming to space out.

"Have you come with good news, then?" He kept looking at the sky and then bent backwards to stretch his back, the feather-like metal scales on his armor clicking a bit as they slid together.

"If deciding that I will become an ambassador for The College of Winterhold at the Thieves Guild is good news, then yes." He looked at Ren and beamed with a smile as wide as Tamriel and showed as many teeth as a crocodile.

"Awesome! We can head out tonight!" He turned to head into the inn but Ren grabbed him by the shoulder.

"We can leave tomorrow morning instead. I need a good night's sleep before I go adventuring to Riften," The Dragonborn shook his head and crossed his arms.

"You mages and your need for sleep," He sighed, "Besides, we're stopping off at Windhelm before. I have one more person I need to pass off some information to." Ren raised one of his eyebrows. Windhelm was well known for its nasty reputation for disliking Dark Elves.

"I don't think me accompanying you to Windhelm is of the smartest ideas," Ren said.

The Dragonborn threw his arms up and then pointed to his own face. "I'm an elf, too. It's not just dark elves they dislike, trust me." The two said their goodbyes and Ren headed back towards The College, making a mental note of which books he was going to bring with him.


	2. Chapter 2

***Readers Note:** Thank you for reading The Follower of the Dragonborn! I plan on writing several chapters for you about wistful Ren and the robust Dragonborn. Stay tuned to see how the story unfolds!

 **Chapter Two**

Ren wrapped his robes closer around him as the Dragonborn leaned his elbows on his knees, trying to ignore the carriage driver, who was singing to himself. He stuck his head back into his book, reading what he could about Riften's history. He didn't want to go into uncharted territory without knowing what it was about. He had traveled away from The College twice before, but each time was to Whiterun to study with the Court Wizard, Farengar Secret-Fire. He had been perfecting his ability to harness a soul in a soul gem and being able to use the whole soul when enchanting an object. It had been hard at first, but after a couple months of dealing with rowdy Nords and Redguards at Dragonsreach and meeting with The Companions and learning about their history, he had finally mastered his soul catching. He had also learned of the abundant giants that circled the hold. Ren smiled to himself, remembering the time he was chased by a giant and a herd of mammoths accidently trampled it.

"What're you reading?" The Dragonborn was staring at him now, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

" _A Short History of the Rift_ by Jerin Black-Briar," Ren put a piece of paper into the book to mark his spot and showed the Dragonborn the cover. He sneered a little and rolled his eyes. "Is there a problem, Sir?" Ren felt a small pit of disgust form inside him. How could the Dragonborn be so rude?

"The Black-Briars are not a favorite of mine. They meddle in things they shouldn't," He leaned back against the railing of the carriage. "If I could cut off ties with them, I would have them gone in a second, but Brynjolf insists that we keep them on our side." Ren raised his eyebrows. In the book, Jerin Black-Briar had explained very little of the Black-Briar family and even less of the Thieves Guild other than the fact that the Thieves Guild resides in Rifted, but no one seems to know where.

"Do you have a pact with the Black-Briar family, then?" Ren leaned forward, hungry for answers.

"In a sense, yes, but I don't really approve of it. If we didn't have them on our side, though, our whole guild would fall to rubble," His somber tone made Ren lean back again.

"We're almost there, friends," The carriage driver looked back at us. "What's taking you to visit the city of rebels, might I ask?" The Dragonborn scooted closer to where the driver sat.

"I recommend you keep your nose in your own business," With that, the driver scoffed and turned back to the road. There was silence for a while, making Ren open his book again. He didn't read, though, he was distracted by the huge city that was coming into view. The place was enclosed by all black stone walls that were too high to see the houses, but not high enough to hide the keep that rose high above the rest of the city. Its spires and roof were beautifully carved with tips that looked like bear heads. Snow covered everything and the ocean beyond was as grey as the sky. The sun was hidden behind the layer of snow clouds, making the black stone look even darker and more foreboding. As they grew closer, the stable came into sight. A small man was brushing a trusty-looking bay colored horse's mane; a woman was next to him, sweeping loose straw back into the horse's stables. _What a beautiful old keep,_ Ren thought, _of course it belongs to the rebels._ Ren took a deep breath as the carriage rounded towards the stable. As it stopped, the Dragonborn jumped off, grabbing his pack. Ren followed suit and kept behind him as they crossed the enormous stone bridge. The guards stared at them as they walked passed, laughing and speaking softly to each other. Ren wondered if it was about him or the ridiculous outfit the Dragonborn had dawned when he first met him. Ren tucked the book he was reading under his arm and focused his gaze straight ahead to the giant wooden doors that lead into Windhelm.

The Dragonborn hadn't stopped at the inn to get a room and settle down before hanging a left and heading towards a few houses. When he turned away from the houses and towards an odd archway where a Dark Elf woman and a child stood, speaking in hushed tones to each other, Ren became lost. On either side of the arch way, there were doors. The Dragonborn picked the one on the right and took off his back, digging around inside. The elf and the child didn't seem to notice them and continued to argue quietly. Ren heard the child say something about another boy named Aventus and how he wanted to play with them, but the woman quickly shut him up and moved him along away from the arch. Ren looked up. It seemed that the whole city was simply made of the large black stones that the wall on the outside was made of. The door that the Dragonborn had chosen was wooden with two rows of iron rivets going down the middle, but the arch and building itself were made of black stone. The Dragonborn stopped digging in his pack and protruded with a lock pick.

"What in the world are you doing?" Ren hissed looking around to make sure no one could see what was happening.

"My contact is in here. They can't come to the door so I have to break in," The Dragonborn stuck his tongue out as he stuck the pick into the lock on the door knob.

"Why can't they come to the door?" Ren checked around the corner and saw a guard headed their way. "Sir, there's a guard coming!" He kept his voice low.

"It's not really that he can't come to the door, but more like he doesn't know we're here," The lock pick snapped and the Dragonborn cussed. Ren checked around the corner again and the guard had stopped to flirt with a woman who was making goo goo eyes at him. Ren rolled his eyes and turned back to the Dragonborn.

"Jackpot!" He exclaimed. He put the lock picks he had left back into his bag and opened the door. Ren followed right behind him. The inside of the house was cold and he couldn't smell any fire going. At the front of the door there were wooden steps that lead up to another level that the Dragonborn took by twos. At the top, there was a small house set up with food and pots and other things scattered all around. Ren kept quiet, not sure what he was to expect. The Dragonborn crouched down and shuffled across the floor, Ren mimicking him. There was a room with a light coming from it to their right and the Dragonborn slowly made his way to it. Ren tried to be as silent as he could, figuring that this was a Thieves Guild thing and that the elf had to steal somethRen didn't want to interfere. The Dragonborn was as quiet as air, but when Ren took his next step, the floor groaned. The Dragonborn's head snapped back to look at him, gritting his teeth. Without hesitation, a young boy came running out of the room.

"It's you! It's actually you!" His eyes were full of wonderment and fear. The Dragonborn stood up and said nothing, watching the boy as he stared at the two men in awe. "I can't believe you came," He finally said.

"And whom was it that you were expecting?" Ren inquired. The boy looked at him and confusion took place where fear had been before.

"The Dark Brotherhood, of course! Look," He turned and motioned to the room where the light had been coming from. Ren and the Dragonborn took a few steps towards the room until they could see inside. What was there sent a horrible shiver down Ren's spine. A whole skeleton lay on the floor with a circle of candles surrounding it. What looked like a heart and a stomach lay next to it. By the eight, what was this child doing? "I performed the Black Sacrament and you heard me, so, you came!" The boy turned to look at them, staring at the Dragonborn. "Right?"

"Of course we did," The Dragonborn turned to Ren, looking as confused as he felt. "What was it we came for, then?"

"I want someone dead," He looked from the Dragonborn to Ren, who felt terror rip through his body. A child wanting someone dead? But he was a child! He was young and naïve! He couldn't possibly want someone dead. "She's in Riften." When the boy said that, Ren felt sick to his stomach. That was exactly where they were headed. He wasn't ready for this sort of adventure, yet.

"And who is that?" The Dragonborn took everything in stride, as if he had done it a million times before. Nothing seemed to faze him.

"Grelod. She runs the orphanage. She's ugly and smelly and treats all the kids there like rats," The boy said this with enough hate to make Ren wonder what the woman had done to him.

"Ah, yes. Grelod the Kind," The Dragonborn took a step towards what Ren assumed was the sacrament and rubbed his chin with his hand, examining the scene. "I can see why you would want the old hag dead." Ren remained quiet, not sure what he was to say. He was more shocked at how the child behaved more than anything else. The Dragonborn stood in silence for a few more seconds and then nodded. "This seems accurate. I'll do it." The boy wrapped his arms around him and smiled wide.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The Dragonborn smiled and placed a hand on the back of the child's head.

"I will come back as soon as the deed is done. Clean up this mess before someone else walks in and isn't as kind." He pointed towards the skeleton and organs that lay of the floor. The child agreed and the two men headed out of the house.

"What in oblivion!" Ren grabbed the Dragonborn's arm and pulled him to face him. "We can't just kill and innocent old woman!"

"Yes we can, and we will," He pulled away. "I've heard what that nasty old bitch does to those children. Besides, there's someone there who will take over." He headed down a narrow path.

"But we can't just kill her, we'll get caught," Ren couldn't believe that the Dragonborn, if he even was the Dragonborn, was going to kill a helpless old woman.

"Everyone in town wants her gone. Even the jarl herself wants her gone. This isn't going to be hard." He stopped at a door and knocked three times.

"Now where are we going?" Ren was frustrated. This Dragonborn idiot just did what he wanted, no rhyme or reason to it. Anger snuck its way under Ren's skin.

"We're visiting a friend," He laced his fingers behind his back as he waited for the door to be opened.

"Oh, so we're not going to break into this one, then?" Ren pressed. He just couldn't understand, but when the door opened, all of his anger seemed to melt away. There was an elven woman in what looked like thief armor who stood in the doorway. Ren was stunned. Never had he seen such a beautiful Wood Elf before. The woman smiled and put her hands on her hips.

'Well ain't it good to see ya! Where have ya been? I sent a letter ages ago," She moved out of the way to let the men step inside. She met eyes with Ren, who had been rudely staring at her. He almost tripped when she winker one of her big green eyes at him. Oh, they were like the forest on a wet day, all dark green and mystifying.

"Who's this dashing lad, then, Dragonborn?" She landed a firm pat on Ren's back which made him cough a little.

"That would be our new ambassador to The College of Winterhold. Kyren, meet Grettina, Grettina, meet Kyren." He gave her a polite smile as she kept a hand on his back leading him down a hallway which led into a room full of weapons on the walls and a large table with a map of Skyrim in the center.

"Please, call me Gretti," She moved over to the other side of the table, sitting with one thigh on top of it.

"Um, Ren," Ren stood just outside of the hall, still staring at Gretti. He couldn't help but notice a lock of hair that stuck out of her hood. It was red, redder than a snowberry, redder than blood. It fascinated him, that small strand of hair.

"Nice to meet ya, Ren," She smiled and then looked down and around the table. "Lillia, dear, could ya bring me my mead please, I think I left it in there with ya,"

A voice sounded from another room. "Coming, love." The Dragonborn set his pack down and went to examine the weapons on the wall. A small woman came into the room, carrying a bottle. She handed it off to Gretti and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Be safe, love." The woman said and then hurried off without a glance at the rest of us. Ren's heart sank a little. The beautiful elf was taken already and not only that, but by a woman, too. It's not like he had a chance anyway. He had no experience with women in that sense.

"You said in your letter that you had information on a rat in the tunnels?" The Dragonborn grabbed a sword from where it was hanging on the wall. It was green and jagged, looking fearsome and sharp. Ren wondered why she would have anything to say about a dumb rat in some tunnels. He began to regret his decision to follow this so claimed Dragonborn. It would probably lead to his demise.

"One of the recruits that one of your men picked up isn't who you think they are," She got off the table and moved to a chest that lay on the floor. Ren began to sweat as he watched her hips sway as she walked and when she bent over… He turned away to stare at the weapons on the wall. _You're such a fool, Kyren._ He recognized some of the weaponry, like an iron sword and a glass sword, but some of the other things that looked like giant hammers and maces and deadly ropes, he had no experience with. Gretti grabbed some papers and a journal out of the chest and brought them over to the table spreading them out.

"A recruit? I was thinking it would be one of the Rataway's residence," The Dragonborn headed over to the table and looked through the papers.

"We know that her name in Yisana and that she belongs to a growing faction that has been sending agents everywhere," Ren keeps his back to her, pretending to examine the wall still. Though, the conversation at hand was much more interesting, now.

"I know her, Brynjolf brought her in, same way he did me," The Dragonborn sounded distracted as he shuffled the papers around.

"The faction has sent out several agents to the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, and the Companions," He heard Gretti's shoes click as she paced. "We don't know the faction and we don't know the plan. All we've uncovered is that they _are_ planning something," Her clicks came closer and closer to Ren, who began to sweat again. He heard something softly thud against the table and Ren turned around. The Dragonborn was smiling.

"I believe this girl could be an asset to us," He leaned against the table, watching Gretti as she paced by Ren. "We could lead her on fake missions, or just little things, never really inducting her into real Thieves Guild stuff, just keeping her on the outside as we figure out what she's doing." Ren nodded, listening to what they were saying, but suddenly bored by their ideas.

"It just looks to me like this faction is trying to turn these other guilds and clans to gather information like bees to other competing hives, if you really look at it," Both of their eyes turned to look at Ren. "Think about it this way, they are sending one agent to be recruited by each group. I'm sure if I were able to look at those notes you have there, I could figure out their little plan and put them to rest before this 'rising faction' becomes too strong." The Dragonborn's smiled grew even wider.

"This is why we have you now," Ren knit his eyebrows together. How could they not have seen that? Were they just too stupid to notice it or were they simply humoring him? "Any plans of attack then, Ren?"

"Simply be rid of them," Ren shrugged. "They obviously want nothing more than to be part of these groups. We just disband them and stop recruiting. "They both looked at each other. They seemed to be having a silent conversation between each other, making Ren feel left out.

"Are we able to just stop recruiting?" Gretti rested one hand on the table, still looking at the Dragonborn.

"We could, but we'd be a little short handed," He rested his elbows on the table and stroked his chin. "This is turning out to be less fun than I'd hoped."


	3. Chapter 3

_***Reader's note:**_ Thank you for reading Follower of the Dragonborn! I sincerely hope you are enjoying the story. Please leave a review and follow the story to keep up to date on Ren's adventure through Skyrim!

 **Chapter Three**

The white tundra of Eastmarch had given way to a hot marsh land, full of hot springs and plenty of dust. Ren's feet had begun to ache under the weight of his pack on his shoulders, but the Dragonborn continued as if he had unlimited energy. The night before, they stayed at Gretti's house. Ren was forced to sleep in a room with the Dragonborn. Their beds were simply small cots on the wood floor, which seemed to be rotting away. Every time Ren turned in his sleep, he was awoken by the creek of the floor. The Dragonborn hardly slept at all and was gone most of the night, leaving Ren alone in a house filled with women. When morning came, the Dragonborn had come back and woken Ren up, making him pack his things and hit the road when the sun was just above the horizon. He didn't know what possessed the Dragonborn, but he decided that they were going to travel the rest of the way on foot, without stopping. The dust from the dry path was creating clouds of dirt around his feet and he shuffled along behind the Dragonborn. Ren looked up to see he had stopped, looking up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun, seeming to search the sky for a moment before shrugging and continuing on his way. As they moved along, small spurts of grass began to stick out of the cracks in the pebbles of the road and trees sporadically lined the trail. The Dragonborn looked up at the time several more times, causing Ren to feel more uneasy each time.

"Sir, may I ask why it is you decided to walk the rest of the way?" Ren trotted a little to catch up next to the Dragonborn. This seemed to make him smile and step a little slower.

"I enjoy the freedom of walking. We can go where ever we want. We can discover new places, fight new demons," He stretched his arms above his head and looked over at Ren who was staring at him. "Freedom, my friend." answered the Dragonborn. Ren nodded to himself and looked back down at his feet as the dust puffed around them.

"Then may I ask yet another question?" He looked up at the sky, to see if maybe he could see what the Dragonborn was seeing.

"Please, feel free. You have freedom of speech when you're with me," Ren looked back at the Dragonborn who was also looking at the sky yet again.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Ren questioned.

"Keep doing what?" The Dragonborn's tone was full of confusion.

"Why do you keep looking up at the sk-"Before he could finish, the Dragonborn covered his mouth and pushed him against a rock that was off the path a little ways.

"Did you hear that?" He whispers, his lips by Ren's ear. Ren shook his head, eyes wide in fear. What had he heard? A wolf? A bear? A giant? He shivered at the thought. Just then, a large shadow glided over them. The Dragonborn pulled out his bow, moving his hand from Ren's mouth and crouching behind the stone. Ren followed behind him, wondering if he should ready a spell. What in the world was that thing?

"I look at the sky to find things like this," The shadow slid over them again and the Dragonborn jumped out from behind the rock, knocking an arrow and pulling it back, aiming at the sky. Ren followed the aim of the arrow and froze in fear. _A dragon._ Shaking his head, Ren shook both of his hands fire burning from each of them. He wasn't adept at Destruction spells, but he was a good enough aim to be lethal. The Dragonborn release his arrow and it went flying, hitting the huge green creature in the chest. It screamed into the air and flapped its wings, flying away only to circle back and land not far from them. Ren forgot everything for a moment, time stood still. The beast was beautiful. Its fierce nature made it look strong and foreboding, but its eyes shown intelligence and wisdom. The dragon's scales seemed to dance along his body as it snaked their way towards them, using its wings to claw at the ground. Ren snapped back into reality when he saw a light forming in the back of the dragon's throat. He rolled over the stone and tripped to the ground, fire scorching the spot Ren was only second before. Ren balled up the fire between his hands and shot as best he could at the dragon, hitting it in the side of the face, leaving a burn mark on his scales, but leaving it seemingly unscathed. Ren got up off the ground, slipping a little in the dust and running behind another rock. He shook out his hands, the flames dousing themselves. _Think, Ren, think._ The Dragonborn had gone missing, Ren felt he was on his own. In his mind, he ran through a list of Illusion spells that would help him, but nothing was coming to mind. His fear was winning against his wit. From the other side of the rock, he heard the dragon scream and felt the wind of its wings against the ground and watched as it took to the sky once more. As if appearing out of thin air, the Dragonborn grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little.

"You need to focus. It's just a dragon. A simple dragon. Wait until you meet its big cousin!" He yelled over a roar from the sky. His smile was wild and his eyes were bright with excitement. Ren shook his head and took a deep breath. "Be ready, he's landing again!" Ren shook his head to clear his mind and then shook out his hands, preparing his energy for a Harmony spell.

"Stand clear," Ren shouted to the Dragonborn. The wind from the dragon's wings as it landed making him fall off balance a little bit. Before he could think, he shot the spell at the dragon. The purple hued ball hit it square in the back. The dragon froze for a moment. He had done it! He had successfully cast a master level spell on something other than a damned troll! He smiled to himself in silent celebration, but before he could fully applaud himself the dragon turned its head to look at him, its irises once green were now black. Ren's smile disappeared in an instant. He saw the Dragonborn coming up from its blind side duel dagger's, but failed to notice the dragon's tail which had hit Ren in the side and sent him flying. He hit his head on a stone before blacking out completely.

When Ren came to, the Dragonborn's face was just above his, his eyes squinting at him. When Ren fully opened his eyes the Dragonborn jumped to his feet and began digging in his pack. Ren attempted to sit up, but a sharp pain in his side kept him from doing so. He could hardly manage a groan and put a hand to his side. It was soaking wet and pulled his hand back to look at it, it was drenched in a crimson color. Blood. Ren began to feel faint, but not because of the pain. The Dragonborn came back with a triangular yellow thing in his hand and his fist balled up around something else.

"Here, eat this," He handed Ren the yellow thing and Ren sniffed it.

"This is hardly the time to eat cheese," He wheezed.

"Just eat it," The Dragonborn took out a mortar and pestle from his backpack and dropped something black into the bowl.

"I don't see how cheese is going to help the situa-"

"I said eat it you idiot! Before you bleed out," He began to crush what was in the bowl.

"Enough of your games! I'm not eating your damn cheese!" He put down the mortar and pestle and took the cheese from Ren's hand. He ripped off a hunk if it, grabbed Ren by the jaw and shoved the hunk down his throat. Ren coughed and swallowed hard, managing to get the cheese down. The Dragonborn repeated this a couple more times before Ren ripped the cheese out of his hand and finished it off. Ren lay on the dusty ground, staring dizzily up into the sky. He was going to die now. He knew that. His life with The College was over. All because he was sent on a ridiculous mission with a man claiming he could absorb dragon souls. He had begun to accept his fate when he noticed the pain in his side subsiding. He placed his hand on his side and felt slightly jagged skin. When he pulled his hand back and looked, no new blood was there. He slowly sat himself up and looked at the Dragonborn, disgusted.

"What have you done?" He stared at him and then looked at his side. The skin was a smooth light grey again, but there was a bloody hole in his robes.

"I healed you," He finished grinding up whatever it was he was grinding and then handed the bowl to Ren. "Eat this."

"I'm not going to eat more of your shit," Ren crossed his arms in protest, but the Dragonborn simple grabbed his jaw and shoved the bowl to his face. Ren tried to push him away, but was unsuccessful. "Alright! I'll eat it! Damn you!" The Dragonborn sat back and handed him the bowl. Ren took it and poured the dust into his mouth. It tasted like nothing. Almost immediate after he began to feel more lively and was able to get to his feet.

"Feel better?" The Dragonborn pack everything back up into his bag and got to his feet. "You missed the epic finale when I jumped on top of him and stabbed him right through the eyes!"  
"You mean to say you killed it?" Ren laughed and shook his head. "Maybe you are the Dragonborn," He laughed to himself.

"Of course I killed it. Took me less than a few minutes after he knocked you out, His face fell a little and he became more somber. "Sorry your spell didn't work."

"It was my own fault for thinking I could own the mind of a dragon," Ren laughed humorlessly at himself.

"You can. I'm sure of it. We'll just need practice," He smiled at Ren and clapped a hand on his back. Ren flinched a little, remembering the cheese he shoved down his throat.

"What was in that cheese? I've never had cheese that's done that before," Ren said, more annoyed than curious.

"Doesn't all cheese do that to you?" The Dragonborn looked at him, confused. Ren slowly shook his head. Never in his life had cheese been so powerful. It's always just been… cheese. The Dragonborn looked off into the distance as if trying to figure out the mystery of the cheese. Ren walked back to where he had lost his pack and was taken aback by what he saw. The dragon that once had the beautiful scales and the wise eyes now lay dead and was simply a yellowed skeleton. He felt inclined to gasp, but he was too in awe. The elf really was the Dragonborn after all. He had to have been. No normal mortal could have done anything close to what lay in front of him. Quickly, he picked up his bag and hurried back next to the Dragonborn who had already started down the path. Ren took one last look back at the bones. _Incredible_.

. . .

The fauna and flora of the Rift had Ren in a fulfilled mood. He almost felt like he was in the right place. He smiled as a young doe crossed their path.

"Just beyond that lookout is Riften," The Dragonborn seemed more tired now, less peppy than before, his eyes still constantly slipping to the sky.

"What's our game plan for Riften, then?" Ren was looking around him, enjoying the cool breeze and fresh smell of greens.

"I'm going to introduce you to the crew, then we're going to deal with the rat," Ren turned around and looked at the bright orange leaves on one of the tree, almost not hearing what the Dragonborn said. "Are you alright? You seem… Dazed."

"I've never seen such a lush forest before," He smiled and inhaled.

"You must have been around forest before, right? You've at least seen the forests around Falkreath?" The Dragonborn seemed vexed.

"The farthest I've ever gone is Whiterun," He felt the leaves of a tree as they passed. "I was left at The College when I was ten. My mother and father were poor farmers and couldn't take care of me. So, they figured The College was the safest place for a young Dark Elf to go," He looked at the Dragonborn who was staring at him intently, watching him as he talked.

"You're not mad that they left you?"

"No, its better that they did. My life would have been full of pain and starvation if I were to have stayed with them," Ren stuck his thumbs under the straps of his bag. "And I've stayed there ever since."

"You've learned a lot, though. Gotten to know many people in high up places," Ren nodded at his words. The Dragonborn was right. He had skills in nearly every magic form and was good friends with many court wizards that came to visit the college. "Ah, there she is. The keep of the Rift." Ren looked ahead of himself and saw a stone wall come into view. There was a small stabled outside of a large pair of doors. Two guards with the Riften symbol in their shields stood watch on either side of what Ren assumed was the entrance. The Dragonborn nearly sprinted to the doors, only to be stopped by the guard.

"There is a privilege tax- Oh, sorry sir. I didn't realize it was you." The guard backed away from him and stood back at his post.

"What was that about?" Ren said quietly to the Dragonborn who pushed open one of the doors.

"I own this city," Was all he said before he fully opened the doors to reveal the hidden city behind them. "Welcome to your new home, Ren." He smiled brightly at Ren, placing his hands on his hips. Ren slowly took in the city, not able to see much from where he was standing. The path was paved with sturdy cabin looking buildings on either side of him. In the distance, he could see a bridge that lead off to the right and a street that lead to the left with a few more walls and buildings beyond.

"This is Riften?" Ren raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. A Nord woman came walking up the path, smiling at the Dragonborn, pleasantly surprised to see him.

"Dragonborn! It is so good to see you! You have been gone for some time," She came over and slapped him on the shoulder. She was taller than he was and very, very blond. Her armor seemed clean and shiny, almost brand new. _She hasn't seen battle in a while._

"Mjoll, it's good to see you, too," The Dragonborn hardly flinched under her hard slap. "This is my friend, Kyren." He motioned to Ren and the woman's smiled never faltered.

"Any friend of the thane is a friend of mine," She out stretched her hand and he took it. Her shake was stiff. "A pleasure."

"So tell me, what is the news of the town?" The Dragonborn crossed his arms and looked up into the sky, again. Mjoll's smile seemed to fade.

"Those damned thieves have been causing a ruckus down there. There was shouting coming from the Ratway entrance," She jabbed a finger behind her. "It just seems like more and more of these characters keep showing up, going in and out of the Ratway." The Dragonborn, and now also thane of Riften, shook his head in disbelief.

"We'll have to deal with that right away. Seems I've been gone too long and I haven't been able to keep these brigands in check," He crossed his arms over his and sighed. Mjoll agreed with him. What was he playing at? He claimed to be the leader of the Thieves Guild and now he was calling them brigands. This elf was just a twist of confusion, but Ren kept silent at his side, deciding that saying nothing was better than saying anything at all.

"Please, do, thane. It'll be the greatest help to this city," With that Mjoll bowed her head and walked off behind us, through the doors.

"What was that about?" Ren hissed to the Dragonborn.

"What was what about?" He gave him a wicked smirk. "I told you, I own this whole city."


End file.
